Song of Darkness, Roar of Thunder
by SolcaOkami
Summary: We were both doomed, right from the start. Doomed to walk the path of darkness. Ninetails before she went evil, with Gekigami too. Ninetails x Oc
1. Chapter 1

Authors note: ok, this is my first fanfic that i've actually put on here and also my 1st first person story. It's about Ninetails before she went evil, and Gekigami, but not in this chapter. this chapter is about Zuzi, my OC, and ninetails is in it later. (it doesn't say what gender Niney is, but in this she's a girl) so, review please.

disclaimer: i don't own okami, obviously. i just own zuzi, and any other oc's

i'll shut up now so you can read this:

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Chapter One

_I suppose I was doomed from the start._

_The very start, the first time I tasted blood of my own kind. Or maybe even before that, when I was born._

I was a black furred male kistune, normal enough for the pack of us that lived near the city. I had nine tails, like all of us, and great clumps of spiky fur around my neck. I almost looked like a completely normal kitsune. But one thing was different. Since I can remember, since the first time I saw my reflection, my eyes have been a bright gleaming red, red as blood. Eyes of a demon. I was marked, marked out to walk a path of blood, as soon as I came into existence.

_But I wasn't a demon, not then. Among the kitsunes, I was somewhat of an outsider, just another hunter._

"Zuzi." A voice snapped from above me, jolting me out of my thoughts.

I hated that name. If they were going to shorten my proper name, then they could at least give me something that sounded a bit better.

"My name is Zuzanzio." I growled, slowly getting to my feet and staring at the face of my leader. He was a brown furred kitsune, again not unusual, and his murky brown eyes stared back at my own. His name was Maza, and he was the most useless excuse for a kitsune I have ever met.

And also my brother.

I guess that's why I hated him so much. He was from a different litter, older than me, but we were the same flesh and blood, and yet he was so much more successful than me. What was it that he had that I didn't? Ever since we were tiny cubs and he had caught his first prey, I had been insanely jealous of him, and vowed to be more powerful than him, one day.

_But not today. Or so I thought._

"Zuzi." Maza repeated. "I shall call you what I want. Now, you know the lone kitsune in Taka Pass?"

I grunted yes. I had never seen this fox, but stories said that she had been one of our tribe, long ago, chased out for...something. no one really knew, but I had heard rumours that it was something to do with Maza. The others chose not to remember. They never spoke her name, but it was said that she was a gorgeous cream furred fox, with lovely amber eyes. I could remember thinking that I would like to meet this kitsune, but we were forbidden to see her.

"Well." Maza continued. "she is beginning to hunt deeper into our territory, and is becoming a threat. She must be eliminated."

_Eliminated? _I was surprised at his cold voice. I had told him many times before how we should destroy our enemies, wipe them off the face of the earth, but he never listened to me. I was just his little brother, with plenty of ambition but no way to fulfil it. But maybe now he was listening to me.

"So you want me to kill her?" I asked thoughtfully. The thought had initially repulsed me, it was no better than murder. But if she was an enemy, and if it would get me more respect...then I was definitely prepared to do it.

Maza gasped at my suggestion, appalled at the very idea. "No, no way! Just...chase her off or something."

I rolled my eyes inwardly. As I had thought, he was being a coward again, too scared to kill. That was the problem with him. he was too scared, too feeble, too weak. _Urgh._ How I hated the weak, even then, before I had any idea how weak people could be. I hated those who were too scared to walk the true path of blood and darkness, and hid in the light.

"So, what, you just want me to chase her off or something?" I sighed.

"Yes, Zuzi. And you better get a move on. I want her gone and you back by next moonrise. Is that ok with you?" He didn't wait for an answer, but stalked off to his cave.

That gave me nearly a day. It was about midnight now. Plenty of time to go to Taka and back, with a kill along the way. Sure, Maza had said to chase her off, but what he didn't know...

I grinned, and stretched before padding towards the cave mouth. There were tow parts of the cave. One was Maza's personal chamber, where he slept and planned. It was permanently filled with white smoke, and in the centre was a deep black pool. There were stories saying that it could be used to see anything in Nippon, but Maza couldn't use it. I growled quietly to myself in puzzlement. How Maza had ever gotten to be leader, I had no idea.

The other part of the cave was much larger, where the rest of us all slept. It was filled with a purple smog, which made it difficult to see in the night. I slowly made my way to the cave mouth, managing to avoid the others, crushing a bone beneath my foot. We were nocturnal, so most of us were out hunting, but as I neared the opening I stepped on a paw. The head snapped up immediately and I groaned. It was Kao, a dark brown kitsune and the same age as Maza. He was the lone fox's brother, but never mentioned her.

"Watch it!" he snapped.

"Sorry." I muttered. He grunted and mumbled something to himself, turning his head away. I caught something about "Look where you're going", and laughed silently.

I ducked out of the entrance, breathing in great lungfuls of fresh night air. The stars glittered above me, like eyes staring into my fur. I shivered slightly under their cold gaze. It was said that some of the constellations were actually gods, but us kitsunes didn't really believe that sort of thing, and I thought that the demons were far more interesting.

My ears twitched to catch a sound behind me. Kao joined me, looking out to the sea of Ryoshima Coast.

"It sure is crowded in there." he joked. I blinked in surprise. He wasn't usually this friendly. _Maza's probably put him up to this,_ I thought darkly,_ to make sure I do my job properly._

"So, what are you hunting tonight?" he asked, trying to make conversation.

"Your sister." The words were out of my mouth before I remembered that he never mentioned her, hated us talking about her. His eyes widened, and he whipped round to face me, claws slashing out and slicing my sensitive nose. I yelped slightly, and rubbed it with my paw in a vain attempt to stop the pain. But I didn't flinch away, and I stared him in the face.

"Hey, what was that for?" I protested, although I knew that I had gone too far. The wound stung like hell, but I wasn't going to admit that.

He snarled, all the usual dislike back in his voice. "Why? Why do you want to find her?"

"Maza's orders. I have to chase her off." I replied confidently, knowing that that would stump him.

It did. Kao backed away, his fur lying flat, calming slightly. "Oh. Well, don't think it'll be easy. She has... powers. Strange, unnatural powers. Not like us. That's why we chased her out."

_Powers, hey?_ I felt a grin threatening to spread over my face. this might be more exciting than I thought.

"Oh well." I dismissed his warning. "I'll be careful." I said casually, walking confidently past him. he snorted doubtfully, and walked in the other direction.

I walked slowly, lost in thought. _Powers..._I had always wanted power, to be leader of the kitsunes. But if Kao was right, and if she did have powers beyond our own, other gifts...then maybe...Yes, maybe there was something more beyond being leader, something more...Before, my ambition had been to be leader, and control all the kitsunes of Western Nippon. But now...I imagined myself controlling the whole of Nippon, not just the kitsunes, but the humans too, perhaps even the gods, if they existed... I let myself get caught up in this vision, not noticing where I was going.

I realised that I had came to the bridge to Taka Pass. I began sprinting over it, scattering a flock of grey and white geese and the foolish human guards. I laughed at their terror, and roared, just to see them tremble even more. The look on their faces made me laugh louder, but then I stopped at the sound of a much louder roar. It was deeper and more threatening than mine, making the trees shake slightly. The humans cried out and huddled closer together, and I must confess, even I felt a shiver of fear, and my legs shook slightly, my fur beginning to bristle.

"It's-it's-Oro-" I heard one human stammer fearfully. But I was no longer interested in them. I had bigger prey to catch. This roar seemed to be calling me.

I began running again, into Taka Pass. I saw the animals run away from me in any direction they could, a herd of deer sprinting past me. I turned and lazily ran after them, not even close to my full speed. I easily caught the fawn trailing at the back, ripping its throat out in one bite and severing the spine, blood spraying into the air and onto my face. it was dead instantly, before it even had the chance to bleat in terror. I lifted it into the air in triumph, then slammed it back on the ground. I began gorging myself on the body, drinking the blood. I was full of blood-lust, and when I had devoured all the meat I licked my teeth clean, then stripped the bones of anything edible that was left. I ate a few of the bones too, and buried the rest. Perhaps I would return for them, after completing my mission.

I kicked some dirt over my store of food, then yawned. It was nearly dawn, cool grey light replacing the pitch black dark. My time was running out, but I suddenly realised how tired I was. I slept a lot, back then, and was incredibly lazy. I found a sheltered spot beside a stream, among thick bushes. I had no intention of hiding. What could possibly harm me, a great nine tailed kitsune?

_Well, I guess I was foolish and ignorant back then. Not now._

I yawned again, and paced round in a circle, before flopping down on my side. I blinked drowsily, and gave a burp that tasted of deer blood, before staring at the stars until I sank into the dark black clouds of sleep.

END OF CHAPTER

so, review it please if you read this far, and i'll carry on if you think it's good

Solca


	2. Chapter 2

This chapter has Gekigami and Sila's viewpoints in it, but starts off as Zuzi. The words in italics are Zuzi's thoughts and the bold italics are the demon's.

Anyway, here's the second chapter!

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Chapter 2

A strange scent drifted into my nose.

The smell of burning.

I woke instantly, springing to my feet and looking around me. The bushes were I had been sheltering where on fire, and already sparks were beginning to leap into my fur. My eyes widened in panic as I searched for a way out, turning round in a full circle. It was then that I saw him, the warrior from the tiny village. He wore armour, with a huge blue sword slung across his back.

He stared at me, emotionless, then laughed quietly and called out to me. I heard him clearly, for there was no other sound except the crackling of the fire. All the animals had fled. All except me.

"So demon, you thought I would let you get away with your evil deeds?"

_Demon?_ " I shall get away with anything I want."I growled, wondering why I was telling that to this stranger, this man who was trying to kill me, and couldn't even understand me when I should be fighting him. I snarled and tried leaping over the fire, but was caught in the chest by his sword. I yelped and flinched away. I tried to escape again, but again he struck out, and again, until I was weak from the blows and trying to dodge. The smoke was getting into my lungs now, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe. I slowly sank to the ground, and he coughed once.

I stared at him as the flames began to burn me. His face was cold, emotionless, showing no remorse. My pelt began to burn with pain as it caught fire. He didn't even blink, just glared back at me. Then he turned to go, and I felt the hot thorns of pain dig deeper into my body. He smiled slightly, then swaggered off looking very pleased with himself, with a final insult hurled over his shoulder. I didn't even hear what it was, I was too deep in the fire burning my fur and the fire of my hatred. Then, just when I had all but given up, I heard something.

A roar. The same roar that I had heard the day before. Suddenly the crackling ceased, as did the terrible burning sensation in my throat and my fur and my lungs. I sat up, blinking in confusion. The fire had gone, the bushes were smouldering slightly, a tiny cloud of smoke drifting from each one.

_How did that happen?_ I wondered.

_**Because I commanded it to. **_

_What? Who was that? How did you do that?_ The voice was quite clearly inside my head, but I still looked around for the source.

_**Everything does my command. Including you.**_

_I answer to __no one__._ I thought back, and I would have snarled if I could.

_**Except me. Do you want power, oh foolish Zuzanzio of the kitsunes?**_

I did. _Yes...._

_**Then seek me out. I shall give it to you, power beyond your wildest dreams....**_

Then it faded, and I heard no more of the voice for a while.

_Power...i_t was that one word that I had been obsessed with my whole life, and now, perhaps, I was so close to getting it at last...

I grinned, and jumped confidently over the bushes. Soon, I would go to seek this voice. But as I didn't know where it was, first I would go to see this lone kitsune. And as I said, I answer to no one. I wasn't going to come as soon as this voice wanted me to. I would do what I wanted, when I wanted. Ever since I had left the kitsunes the day before, I had felt this growing sense of freedom.

I caught a scent on the breeze, my own kind, female, mixed with a feline scent. Tiger..

I frowned, and followed the scent.

I followed it to a clearing in a forest of bamboo. The tiger scent was very strong, and I could still smell kitsune, but I couldn't think what my own kind would want with a mangy overgrown_ cat_. I was about to find out.

The bamboo swayed slightly, and four figures stepped out in front of me.

The first two were normal tigers, one gray blue with a tired looking face, the other smaller, a female, with the normal orange and black striped fur. Her orange coloured eyes glared at me and she snarled. I was slightly impressed by her spirit, that she dared snarl at me.

The third tiger was much larger and more impressive. He had gleaming white fur, with bright crimson stripes. Huge wings came from his shoulders and his tail was tipped with black ink. There were thunderbolt patterns in his coat and the celestial mark of the gods on his head. On his back was a huge bow, with arrows made of lightning in a quiver on his back. He didn't snarl or growl, but met my gaze steadily and coolly. I knew why. He could kill me in one heartbeat if he needed too.

But the fourth figure was the most important to me, the one that I looked at longest. She was no tiger, but a huge fox, the same size as me. She had dark red fur, blood red. But where nine glorious black tails rose from my body, she had only one, the same red colour. All that remained of the other eight were battered and bloody stumps. She was nothing like the lone fox we had heard of, but I was fascinated by her anyway. One eye was closed up, an ugly scar covering it, with yellow pus slowly oozing from it. The other was amber, and looked back at me in interest, but I could see she was hiding her pain.

We stayed like that for a few heartbeats, their eyes looking at me as I looked at them. I shivered slightly under their gaze. I didn't know what to say, and was somehow glad when the white tiger spoke.

"Who are you?" he growled. There was no fear in his voice. "You're not one of those foxes from Ryoshima Coast, are you?" he sounded aggressive now, and I guessed it wouldn't be wise to tell him that I was a member of that group. The other kitsune's eye widened and flashed green, a sign of fear, her fur bristling.

"No." I lied, and saw her relax immediately. "I'm just a lone kitsune. I smelt another fox, and came here."

The tiger still looked at me suspiciously. "Well, who are you then? How come you're a loner? Not many foxes survive on their own."

"Leave him alone, Geki." The kitsune commanded. "You know what happened to me. Maybe he has a similar story."

_A similar story? What had happened to her? _I listened intently, wanting to know more.

The tiger hissed slightly but looked away. "I'm only trying to protect you. What if they were coming back again?"

"Then you would chase them off." She said, a hint of laughter in her voice. She looked back at me. "I'm Silatenin, and this is Geki, Toka and Yao." She pointed to the tigers.

"Gekigami, please Sila." The tiger growled, and looked at me superiorly. "The _god_, Gekigami, god of Thunderstorm."

_So the gods did exist..._I dipped my head reluctantly, knowing that it wouldn't be wise to pick a fight with this guy.

The orange tiger glanced at the other one and spoke. "I'm Toka, and this is Yao, my brother."

They looked at me expectantly and I realised that I hadn't told them my name.

"I'm Zuzanzio. Just a loner." I said hastily.

"Zuzanzio..." Sila murmured.

The wind changed, and I smelt more tigers.

"There's more of you here?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes. Yao's the leader of us, the Taka Fighters. There's about twenty tigers, and a few dogs, but Sila's the only kitsune." Toka said. I wondered why Yao wasn't speaking for himself, and glanced at him quickly. I saw that he didn't just look tired, he looked sick. His eyes were lost and stared at the ground. Toka turned and gave him a comforting lick on the head.

"So why aren't you the leader?" I asked Geki. He obviously had more power than any of us there.

He shrugged slightly. "I'm only visiting for a few years, then I'll return to the Celestial Plain. And I'm not power hungry." _Unlike you_, his eyes said, glaring at me.

_He didn't want power? He could control most of Nippon if he wanted to, just by __looking__ at them, and yet he was content to live with a group of mangy overgrown cats, and not even rule them? _it was completely new to me, this idea of not having power. It must have shown in my face, for he smiled back at me slowly.

"So, Zuzanzio, where exactly do you live?" it was Sila speaking now, unaware of the silent exchange between us.

"Oh, everywhere really. And nowhere. I hunt in Agata Forest mostly."

"Really?" Geki asked. "Only, I've been there many times, and I never smelt a kitsune."

"Yeah, well..." I shuffled my paws awarkly. He would guess that I was from Ryoshima soon, and the way him and Sila had talked about the others before, it was clear that I wouldn't be welcome if they knew. Suddenly I realised that I didn't know what I was going to do next. It was clear that I could never chase or kill Sila, even if I wanted to, and all thoughts of doing that had vanished when I met her.

"Do ya mind if I stay here tonight?"

"No, of course not." Yao spoke for the first time, in a rasping voice. "We're based in Sasa Sanctuary, so you can come with us there."

It made me feel weak, accepting help from a mere tiger, but I wanted to see Sila a bit more. Toka lead the way, with Geki bringing up the rear. I walked behind Sila, admiring the moon reflected in her single eye. We talked of the prey and hunting, and her life with the tigers. But she never mentioned the other kitsunes, and although I ached to know what had happened to send her into exile, I had enough sense to keep quiet. I could feel Geki's gaze burning my fur, and didn't dare to turn around.

Sila lead me through the Inn and into the bamboo forest, until we came to a large clearing. We passed many other tigers, and I saw a few dogs running around, as well as the many sparrows.

On the ground of the clearing was a strange mark. I asked what it was, but Toka merely shrugged.

"We don't know really. But sometimes it glows, on nights when the moon is full."

I lay down slightly further away from the others, who quickly fell into sleep. Geki started snoring lightly. Sila's face twitched, and she moaned quietly. I turned my head to look at her. She seemed to be having some kind of nightmare. Her eye opened suddenly, but she didn't seem to see me.

"_The foxes...the tower...the island...the darkness_" she spat, then her eye slid shut and she sank back into a peaceful sleep. But just before she did, I saw her eyes gleam red.

But not the red of anger, like other kitsunes. This red was like my eyes all the time, _demon_ red.

_**Yes, demon. Foolish fox, you still haven't answered my call.**_

The voice was back, again inside my head. _I answer-_

_**-to no one- **__**except me.**_It finished. _**I am your master, and I always have been. And you shall answer my call, sooner or later.**_

_No I won't._ I thought back coolly. _I am going to the Cave in Shinshu Field, and then doing whatever I want._

_**Exactly. You are getting closer to me, like the deer into a trap... **_it fade away, leaving me snarling in anger. I was no deer to be stalked like prey, I would not walk into a trap.

I lay back down, staring at the moon. I was wide awake, as I hadn't woken until after midday and I was normally nocturnal. I yawned in boredom, and decided that there was no point in staying around here any longer. I would go to the Cave tonight, and return to see Sila in the morning.

I stretched, and gazed at her a bit longer, wondering what her nightmare had been about. Maybe I would ask her, if I could see her without Gekigami breathing down my neck. But for now, I would seek power.

* * *

I heard him leave, snapping a twig near my head, and opened my single eye slowly. The other hadn't been able to open for many years now, since I had came to live with the tigers. I looked around, checking that everyone was asleep, and gave a sigh of relief.

Perhaps no one had seen or heard me in my nightmare. But in my heart, I doubted it. I had heard Zuzanzio move to look at me, felt his warm breath close to my single tail.

The nightmares were getting worse, the voice of darkness calling me more often. Sometimes I wanted to answer it, just to get it over with. I knew that I would give in eventually. Perhaps I should just do it now.

I had sensed the voice moving away, not back to where it came from but to another place in the clearing. To Zuzanzio. _But surely he would fight it too?_ I thought. But I was wrong. _I'll ask him about_ _it tomorrow_, I told myself, and sank back into sleep.

* * *

I glared at the black kitsune as he left the clearing. _Why was he here? Why was he so interested in_ _Sila?_ I didn't trust him one bit. I was sure that he was from the Ryoshima Coast foxes, sent to kill Sila. I knew what they had done to her, and I wouldn't let them finish her off.

And there was something else about this Zuzanzio, an aura of darkness. Perhaps he was a demon in disguise, or maybe he just wanted to cause trouble. But there was something about him that made my fur bristle.

I sighed, looking up at the moon. The Celestial Plain was up there somewhere, and so was the other gods. The moon reminded me of Yumigami, the rabbit goddess in charge of it. That brought memories of the other gods, Yomigami the wise one, Moegami who I had argued with so often, the cowardly Hanagami trio, my weak relation Kabegami, Bakugami with the explosive temper, quiet Kasugami, the small but strong Tachigami. Then there was Itegami, the cold and lofty ice god, graceful Nuregami and the wild wind Kazegami.

And of course Amaterasu, the wolf goddess of Sunrise. _How is she?_ I wondered. She had fallen to Nippon with the terrible eight headed serpent Orochi many years ago, but I hadn't seen her since I came here. I decided that I must seek her out.

The moon reminded me of someone else too, Ushiwaka the prophet. I had heard that he was in Nippon as well, but he was someone that I didn't want to meet. We had argued on the Plain, even more than me and Moegami, we were great friends really. And I didn't like him getting too close to Ammy. It was our job to protect her at times when she couldn't protect herself, and when it came to Waka, this was one of them.

The sky was clear, but as I thought of Waka it clouded slightly. I quickly calmed myself before I caused a Thunderstorm with my anger. Amaterasu would be in Kamiki Village probably, or Kamui. I would be gone for a day or two at the most. Sila and the tigers would be fine without me for that long.

I padded quickly to the Inn, along Zuzanzio's scent trail. I stopped briefly to talk to the dog guarding the entrance.

"That kitsune went out earlier. Said he was going hunting or something." He growled, and I could tell that he didn't trust Zuzi either. He was a young gray and white wolf like dog, already high in the ranks of the Taka Fighters.

I snorted quietly. Somehow, I doubted he was hunting. I was torn for a moment between whether to follow him or find my friend. But Ammy won.

"I'm going to find my friend." I told him. "Tell Yao and Sila in the morning, please?"

He dipped his head and I continued on, running quickly and easily through Taka Pass and Agata Forest. I stopped briefly in the Forest to scent the air. There was only a faint smell of kitsune. Zuzi must have gone on further. And there was no older scent either, so he hadn't been hunting here for a while.

I frowned angrily. He was lying, and I hated liars. But I would deal with him later.

As I entered Shinshu Field, I noticed a storm cloud over the lake. Somehow, I knew it wasn't caused by my anger. I shrugged, thinking that it wasn't too unusual. That was Orochi's lair, he was probably doing demon stuff. And I didn't want to go there now. I had a friend to see.

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2 chapters done! please review it, and i'll update next week!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The lake lay in front of me. I ran along the path and entered the Cave.

_What? Is this it?_ I thought in disbelief, staring at the centre arena. I walked into the centre, growling. The call of power had been false. There was nothing here.

_Still, this looks interesting..._ I thought, looking down at the strange markings on the floor, which seemed to show a dragon's head. I poked what seemed to be the eye, just for fun, and suddenly there was a huge roar from beneath me. I jumped back in shock, then crounched and snarled, ready to fight.

A head, similar to the one on the floor, emerged from the floor and faced me. It was a dragon, golden scales and with a strange red hat on top of it, marked with the kanji for fire. I looked down at it's neck, surprised to find that it wasn't connected to a body, but rather to a mountain like structure with a bell on it.

Another seven heads had also came out of the ground, all attached to the bell, all with golden scales and red eyes. They were also marked with different elements. I continued growling.

"Oh black fox who has disturbed my slumber!" the dragon roared, it seemed to be the head marked with fire who was speaking, the others merely hissed and growled in turn, swaying back and forth around their leader. "You are foolish, for you have awoken the great Orochi, servant of Yami!"

_So now I had a name for this creature._ This time, the head marked with Poison spoke.

"But you shall not live long enough to regret it!"it hissed.

"No, wait." The Dark one growled. "He could be...useful." it grinned. The Fire one looked back at it, and all eight heads gathered around the bell, hissing quietly.

Now would be the time to run, I knew that. But I was curious to know what fate would be decided for me, and the longing for power kept me where I was. Eventually the heads broke apart and the Fire continued speaking.

"You have been foolish. But we have given you a chance. Speak the words, 'I wish darkness unto myself', and you shall become a being of the dark, to serve under us. Refuse, and you shall die." It laughed.

_Well, I didn't have much choice. And what choice was there to make? I had come here for power, and now I could get it._ I grinned, and without even thinking, spoke.

"I _gladly_ wish darkness upon myself."

The head blinked, as if surprised that I had given in so easily. Then it nodded.

"We are Orochi. We have the power to do anything. Fox, prepare for power!" he roared, sending waves of dark energy around the Cave.

As each wave hit me, I felt myself change, become more powerful. The clumps of black fur around my neck and along my sides turned into red spikes, and two pairs of similar spikes appeared on my legs, one pair near my ankles and the other further up. A circle of red fang shaped beads appeared, circling my neck, a powerful Rosary. Power rushed through my veins and I howled in triumph.

"So, Zuzanzio." The head growled. I didn't bother to ask how it knew my name. The moment I had spoken the words, I had came under his control. He knew my name and who I was. But he didn't know my thoughts, my secrets, my dreams. That was for one being alone.

"Lord Orochi." I growled. "What is your command?"

The Fire head growled, its eyes gleaming cunningly. "Nothing, yet. I only ask that you come when I call. The rest is up to you."

I grinned too. Now, I could lead the kitsunes. I could easily take over from Maza. Dipping my head, I turned and ran.

* * *

I hadn't been running long when I caught a scent, and changed direction.

"Sila!" I called. The red furred fox stopped and looked back at me, frowning.

"Zuzanzio. Have you seen Geki?" she asked.

I growled in annoyance. "Who cares about that mangy cat? "

She looked shocked. "Don't say that! If he heard you..."

I shrugged. "Whatever. I could fight him any day!" I boasted, secretly hoping that I would never have to prove it.

"What's wrong, Zuzi? You seem...different..."

Our eyes met, and I knew she saw the darkness in them. "I am different. I went to the Moon Cave."

"Orochi's lair? And I expect you killed the overgrown snake?" she growled, eyes flashing demon red like mine.

Why would she hate Orochi? I wondered. But I shook my head. "No, he gave me power. I now walk the path of darkness. Perhaps you should join me."I suggested, knowing that the dark called to her as well.

She growled agaon, more fiercly, and looked straight at me. "No. Why should i? I have enough power of my own, I don't want to take orders from that serpent." Her expression gave nothing away.

"I can tell you want to, Sila." I bluffed. "Why are you really a loner?"

She looked away, and when she finally answered I could tell that she wasn't telling the whole truth.

"I was once a member of the Ryoshima Coast foxes, like you. Yes, Zuzi, I know. We can't survive on our own, I have only lived this long because of the protection of the Taka Fighters.

I had a brother, called Suraiba. He was a sliver kitsune."

I gasped silently. Sliver kitsunes were incredibly rare. It was said that there would be only one, and this kitsune would be darkness itself, with power beyond even the gods and the greatest of the demons.

"Sliver with black markings. You know the legend, everyone does. That's why they killed him." she said, with sadness in her voice.

"Who?" I asked. I frowned._ A sliver kitsune..._now I thought about it, I was sure I could faintly remember a sliver fox, and Sila herself, from when I was a cub, a few decades ago.

"You must know the story. It was before you were born, and perhaps they have banned it now. But it was one of them. Orochi or Maza. They thought he was a threat to their power.

Suri left suddenly one night, saying that he was going to the Moon Cave. Everyone knew it was sucide to go there, but no one cared. I was the only one who tried to stop him, and I..." her voice faltered and suddenly I knew she was lying.

"Maza went after him, saying that Suri was a demon who had to be destroyed. By the time I got to the Cave, it was too late. Suraiba lay dying on the ground, Maza standing over him. Orochi was there, but I think Maza was the one to kill my brother. Orochi tired to attack both of us, but we escaped. When we returned to the foxes, they chased me out. That's how I got my wounds, and lost my tails." She whimpered slightly, hiding her face from view.

I growled. To be wounded by our own kind was a terrible thing, and to lose eight tails...i drew mine close to my side, reassuring myself that they were still there.

"Well then, Maza shall pay." I snarled. Now I had all the more reason to take over. Maza was a rubbish leader, he would only drive us to destruction. And the knowledge of what he had done to Sila just made it worse.

She looked at me in shock. "What? No, Zuzi, wait!"

But I had already gone, racing away across the Field, power and anger coursing through my veins like blood. I had a fox to fight.

* * *

3 chapters done! thank you to the reviewers, and sorry this chapter took a while and was shorter.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Hey, Sila!"

I turned at the sound of my name. Gekigami stopped in front of me. I nodded in greeting.

"So, how was Amaterasu?" I asked, trying to put off any mention of Zuzi for as long as possible.

The worry must have shown in my face. "Fine, of course. Is that Zuzanzio fox still sniffing around?"

"Um, no actually. He went to the Moon Cave, and then-" he cut me off with a growl.

"The Moon Cave? And he spoke to Orochi, I suppose? Demons...they're all the same. I knew I should have finished him off when I had the chance." He snarled angrily. "Where's he gone?"

I tried to answer, but a cloud of darkness covered my mind, shutting out Shinshu Field and his words.

_**He is walking the path of darkness. As you soon shall.**_

_No! Get out of my head! _she protested.

_**Don't you want to meet your precious Suri? Don't you want to know what really happened to him?**_

_I know what happened. He died. _

_**Fine. Go on believing that if you want. But unless you join me, you shall never know the truth, and you shall never avenge him....**_

The voice and darkness faded away. I remained with my eyes squeezed shut for a few seconds.

"Sila? Sila, what's wrong?"

I opened my single eye. "N-Nothing. Zuzi said he was going to Ryoshima." _To kill Maza_, I remembered with a jolt.

"Then I must go after him." Geki growled angrily, then was gone in a flash of lightning, teleporting to Eastern Nippon.

The darkness returned, stronger this time, and I found myself in a cloud of darkness.

I growled, thrashing my single tail.

_**Aren't you tired of fighting? This shall be your life, trapped and drowning in darkness, unless you give in.**_

I snarled my defiance. For some reason I felt stronger here, though I still longed for my real fur and my missing tails and eye.

_**And you shall return to your full strength. Give in to the darkness...**_

A pair of red eyes, all that I could see of the source of the voice, opened in the blackness, and blinked. I felt myself growing even more powerful, my right eye opening suddenly and eight tails sprouting from my back, my fur growing. Then in a heartbeat it was gone, leaving me weak again.

_**So make your choice.**_ The voice whispered, returning me to the mortal world.

* * *

"Maza!" I cried to my brother, leading a group of three kitsunes through a patch of trees. I was standing on a large boulder above them, giving me an advantage for a fight.

He turned and looked up, his eyes widening. "Zuzanzio." His voice was unnaturally calm as he spoke, as if he had been expecting this. "So you come to challenge me?"

I nodded. "For leadership of the kitsunes!"

He dipped his eyes with narrowed eyes. "Then we shall fight at sunset."

I snorted. That gave him time to gather more foxes, to help him. "There's no time like the present."I growled, leaping down to confront him.

He barked an order to the other tow foxes, who turned and ran back to camp. _To get reinforcements,_ I thought darkly. But even being outnumbered, I was confident of winning.

Maza growled, and to my surprise, made the first move, springing at me and snapping his jaws around my leg. I yelped, then dodged, lashing out with my rosary. The beads hit him across the chest, sending him flying across the trail. He got up and began running away, causing me to snort angrily at what I thought was mere cowardice.

I followed him onto the long strip of beach, the waves crashing in my ears as the sun sank into the sea. He turned and drove me back, until I was backed up against a rock wall. I hissed, preparing to strike.

"Stop, Zuzi. Before I let you kill me, I want to know something." He commanded.

Something in his tone made me stop and listen.

"Why? This is more than a leadership fight. Is it because of Shimo?"

I snarled at the mention of my sister, the only one who had ever cared for me. She was dead now, like Suraiba, and Maza had been the only one there at her death.

"Did you kill her?" I demanded. "Did you kill her like you killed Suraiba, and then wounded Silatenin and drove her out?"

His face changed, a mixture of shock and happiness and anger. "Sila? She's alive? You spoke to her?" then he snarled. "What do you mean about killing them? I would never do that!"

His lack of concentration enabled me to drive him back, slashing with my claws and teeth and striking with my rosary. He barely fought back, as if he was tired. Perhaps I should have seen when to stop. But it seemed as if there was a roaring in my ears and a mist clouding my judgement, forcing me to keep fighting. Finally I delivered a blow to his leg, and pinned him down as I had so many times during mock battles. But this time it was real. His eyes narrowed, then began clouding over. I stepped back, releasing my hold, thinking that he had given in.

Then I saw the blood.

The flood of thick crimson liquid pouring out of the gash in his throat. The bloodlust faded, and I began to realise the full horror of what I had done.

"No...." I whispered. I had never meant to kill him. but now my own brother lay on the golden sand, his eyes clouding with the look of death. I rushed over to stand next to his head.

"Maza, I'm so sorry..."

"It's a bit late now, isn't it?" he said with a trace of a growl, but I could see how much it was costing him. "Listen, Zuzi. It wasn't me who killed Suraiba. Whatever Sila's told you, it isn't the truth."

I thought back to when she had told me, and how I had known deep down that she was lying. That made everything worse, it meant that I had caused Maza's death for no reason.

Maza gasped silently for breath, but swallowed and carried on. "As for Shimo..." he panted. "She was killed by the prophet. Avenge her..." his eyes glazed over, and I knew his end was only a few heartbeats away.

"And don't follow the song of darkness." He whispered, before his eyes closed.

I stood looking at his unnaturally still body, knowing now that no breath came from his lungs and his heart didn't beat. He was gone.

_No...._I still couldn't believe it, couldn't bring myself to think about what I had done.

_**But you wanted power.**_

_No! This is your fault!_ I screamed silently, desperately wanting someone other than myself to blame. _You sneaking serpent, you-_

_**No. I am not the foolish Orochi. I am far greater. The power you have now is nothing compared to what I can give you...**_

The voice faded, leaving me with the even worse darkness of my own thoughts.

A twig snapped behind me, and the foxes of Ryoshima came swarming down from the trees, stopping when they saw their leader. Some gasped in shock, others growled in anger, or snarled. They all turned their eyes on me, some in respect, others in fear, or anger. One came forward, dipping his head, and others followed. There were about twenty five foxes in all, and about fifteen joined the first one. The others growled and moved off, obviously displeased with me becoming the leader.

"What have you done?" one snarled.

With a shock I recognised my own father, a ginger furred fox who had completely ignored me since I was a cub.

"How could you? You've killed your own brother!" Kao spat angrily, whipping up the others in supporting him.

"Murderer!"

"Scum!"

"He doesn't deserve to live, let alone lead!"

"We should have got rid of him when we had the chance." Kao finished, eyes glinting angrily.

I snarled in reply, my scales lifting in anger.

_**Go on. Finish them off.**_

_No. I shall never kill my own kind again, if I can help it. _I tried desperately to block the voice out, but it was too strong.

_**Too scared?**_ It mocked.

_Never._ I lied. But I was, I was scared of myself, what I could do.

"I am your leader now." I announced. "From now on, you shall answer to me." I tried to appear confident, but Kao's mocking eyes showed it wasn't working.

I paused. What would I do now? I wanted to seek this voice, and Sila, and I needed to find out what Maza's last words had meant. I had to find this prophet, whoever they were, and avenge Shimo. And what did he mean by not following the song? But I couldn't do that with a pack of kitsunes in tow.

I looked at the fox who had come forward first, a large and powerful beige male. I struggled to think of his name, then remembered in a flash.

"Yaki, you shall be in charge." He looked surprised, but dipped his head wordlessly.

"But where are you going? Running away?" Kao taunted.

"No. I am going to think." I spat back, walking away slowly, ignoring the laughter calling after me.

I swam out to a small island near the coast, shaking my fur dry and closing my eyes.

_They're right about one thing,_ I thought bitterly. _I am dangerous. They should have got rid of me before. _

_And the memories returned._

_

* * *

  
_

"Geki, wait!" I snarled, chasing after him. I was following his scent trail, too far away to see him. but perhaps he would hear me.

I stopped suddenly, looking around. I had no idea where I was. If Geki had led me to Ryoshima Coast, then it must have changed since I had lived with the kitsunes. A dark purple mist hung in the air, with a foul stench. I coughed violently, spitting out a glob of green saliva. I took another step forward, my foot sinking into mud. I pulled in out straight away, and leapt to a rock for safety. I was in a thin canyon, steep rock walls rising on either side. nothing grew here, it was a bare place of mud and rock. I spotted another rock and leapt across to it.

There was a line of rock leading to safe ground. I reached the other side and sighed in relief. I hated mud. Behind me was a black cave mouth, Geki's scent coming out of it. But what would he want in here? I gulped and followed him.

The cave branched into three passages. Geki's scent had been swallowed by the stench, so I took the middle one at random. It branched out into another large chamber, circle shaped with a high domed ceiling. Piles of bones littered the edge, with another tunnel leading out. In the centre of the cave was a boulder, with a dark pool of water inside it. I froze suddenly, taking in the fang shaped rocks reaching down from the roof and the white smoke slowing circling the pool. I sniffed, and growled. There was no mistaking that scent. Geki's smell had vanished completely, replaced with that of my own kind. Maza's was strongest, this was the leaders chamber. But he was gone now, and the scents of the others were stale.

_**What have you got to be afraid of? **_

I didn't bother to answer.

_**Nothing. You could defeat those foxes, easily.**_

_No. I shall not use my powers. _

To my relief, it disappeared with a faint peal of laughter. I crept forward through the next tunnel. That voice is right about one thing, I thought. Why should I be scared? All the scents were stale. I emerged into the familiar large cave, sniffing where Kao slept, and the very faint scent of Zuzanzio.

I frowned. Where were they all? I was glad that they weren't there, so there was no risk of a fight. But it was odd that they had all gone out at once. I backed out of the cave, through the cave with the pool, back into the first chamber. I caught a faint scent, and ran down the one on the right.

I growled in frustration. Where was Geki? I snorted, deciding to return outside and wait. This cave gave me the creeps, and it held too many memories.

A low hiss came from behind me. I turned slowly, my neck fur bristling in fear. A large snake faced me, green and black scaled, swaying slowing from side to side, tongue flickering in and out and fin like skin laps on either side of its head flared out. It hissed again, and I growled quietly. I hated snakes, they reminded me of Orochi. This one was normal enough, huge, but without a strange hat or glowing red eyes.

I backed away slowly, trying to escape, but realised that the snake was blocking the door. I thrashed my tail, eyes widening when I saw that the tip was covered in black red ink. It hadn't done that since before I left the foxes. Back then, I had been able to command the ink, summoning ice, thunder and fire, climbing up walls, changing day to night and slashing through things with a single strike. The ink had faded many years ago, when I had lost my tails.

But now the ink was back. I grinned triumphantly and waved my tail, in a star shape, bringing spears of ice down, which froze the snake instantly. I followed it with the slashing technique, slicing the serpent in two. It fell silently, lying dead on the cave floor.

_**Excellent.**_

_Get out of my head, Orochi._ I snapped. How dare this voice ruin my moment of victory?

_**I am not that terrible excuse for a demon lord. **_

_Well, who are you then?_

_**The emperor of eternal darkness.**_ It answered arrogantly. _**You can still use the Brush. That shall help you greatly, in the quest to control Nippon.**_

_Control Nippon?_ I answered, interested.

_**Yes...that is the ultimate goal....Silatenin, the time is soon...**_

_Control Nippon...._I frowned. I had never asked the voice why it wanted me to join the darkness. And if it wasn't that foul serpent after all, then maybe I should join to seek power.

But I had seen the madness in Zuzi's eyes as he spoke, seen how he was bound to the dark, forced to do it's bidding.

_But I shall not be like that. _I vowed. _I shall fight, and I shall be the supreme leader of Nippon._

I laughed softly.

"Sila! What are you doing here?"

I whipped round to face Geki, standing in the tunnel entrance. I blocked the snake from his view, and noticed with relief that the ink had faded completely.

"I followed you." silently, I cursed myself for my stupidity. If he found out that I hadn't really been chased out, then he would fight me. He hated liars, more than anything. "Why did you come to this place anyway?"

He growled, his lip curling. "There is strong demonic energy here, just the place that Zuzanzio would go. I'm glad the rest of the kitsunes seem to have the sense to stay away. this place is terrible, riddled with snakes. I had to use the Celestial Brush to defeat the last one!"

Celestial Brush? But of course, he was a god. But what about the techniques I had used? How could I possibly control the power of the gods?

"Well, Zuzi's not here." I stated the obvious, trying to get out of here as soon as possible.

"No. We should go to the city, and gather information." He flexed his claws angrily, and led the way out.

We found a spot to sleep, under a group of trees. I lay down a few paces away from him, filled with memories.


	5. Chapter 5

This is a flashback chapter, with Zuzi and Sila's memories

* * *

For him, the Song of darkness had begun almost as soon as he was born.

The black kitsune cub looked proudly down at his nine tails. He had been the last of his litter of five to open his eyes. He looked over to where his siblings slept beside his mother. He had been surprised at their colour, to find that most of them were brown or red. His mother was a brown fox, and his father red, so they should have all been similar colours. But he was different.

He yawned, gazing around at the world with wide eyes. He could already recognise most of the foxes by scent, but it was different seeing them. They were all asleep, as it was the middle of the day, but he was far too excited by this new world to sleep.

His older brother, Maza, the same brown colour as his mother, lay near a dark brown fox called Kao. Further away, he could see the leader Taka, an old, grey fox who couldn't see. Maza was his deputy, and his mother said he would soon take over as leader. Nearer the entrance was Kao's brother and sister, Silatenin and Suraiba.

Suddenly he saw movement out of the corner of his eye and whipped around with a tiny snarl. His sister Shimo laughed.

"You've opened your eyes!" she gasped.

He nodded proudly. Now he could see that she was a dark gray fox, with piercing ice blue eyes. She was slightly smaller than him, but her fur was longer and silkier.

"What colour are my eyes?" he asked suddenly.

She looked at him carefully. "Red."

"Red!?" someone echoed, and suddenly he was surrounded by foxes.

"Zuzi! You opened your eyes!" his mother grinned in delight, but then stopped when she saw the colour.

"Red. Like demons." Maza growled, and the cub looked up at him in bewilderment.

Yaki was there too, and snarled. "Although I cannot see him, I feel darkness around this cub. He must be killed, before his dark infects all the tribe."

"No! Zuzi's done nothing wrong!" Shimo cried, but the cub remained silent, staring at the ground in front of him as if he had been turned to stone. He felt no fear, just anger at the betrayal. He saw the foxes dip their heads, some reluctantly, others decidedly. Even his parents.

"No. " a voice growled, and the crowd parted to let him though. Suraiba stopped in front of Zuzanzio, eyes gleaming. "The darkness comes from me. Leave this cub alone."

"Suri, what are you talking about?" Silatenin growled, trying to turn her brother away.

He shook her off. "I am going to the Moon Cave, the place of darkness. I am going to the place of power."

He empathized the last words, and the cub looked up, suddenly interested. Suraiba met his gaze for a moment, then turned and began running to the East.

"My leader, I shall go after him!" Maza cried, and ran with fangs bared for the kill.

"Suri!" Sila cried, and also followed.

Slowly the crowd dispersed, leaving Zuzanzio lying in the middle of the cave. Shimo sat by his head, trying to comfort him.

But even her support didn't help. She was the only one who supported him, the only one who cared. The rest either ignored him completely, or spat insults at him. He only survived the first few months by food that Shimo managed to steal from their mother. Over the years, he slowly began to get used to the taunts and insults and muttered curses that were spat in his ears. He filled his days with hunting and fighting off intruders, trying to prove that he was no demon. Shimo's death changed him, made him care only for himself. He lived to find the truth, about the deaths of her and Suraiba.

He never forgot that day. He always wondered what had happened at the Moon Cave. Maza had returned, wounded, but Suraiba and Silatenin had not. He was determined to find out, and that Cave was calling him. The place of power.

* * *

Her song began that day as well.

It had begun normally enough, a lazy day of sleeping in the unbearable heat. She was a normal kitsune, cream furred and amber eyed, with nine tails. So was Kao, and almost every other kitsune in the tribe. All with amber eyes. If one was born with eyes of a different colour, it meant that there was something strange about them, either power or weakness.

For Suraiba, it was definatly power.

His eyes were pure black, as black as the darkest night, set in his sliver fur. That was the problem.

There was a legend among the kitsunes, that every fox knew from when they were a cub. One day a sliver kitsune would appear. He would be the only sliver fox ever, and he would have power beyond even the gods and the greatest of demons. Some stories said that he would be a great god, to watch over all of Nippon and finally banish the darkness. Others told that he would be darkness itself, and destroy the sun and everything that was good.

Until that day, Sila had believed neither, always telling herself and Suri that it was just a legend.

But then he had defended the cub.

On hot days like this, when hunting was impossible, the older kitsunes had sat and told stories to the young cubs.

Kao had told them to be proud of their pack, and defend it with their lives.

Maza had taught them to try to protect and look after those they loved, always looking slightly at her as he spoke.

Sila had tried to tell them about trust, to trust no one but yourself and your family. That was a lesson she had learnt over the years, when foxes that she had thought were her friends had turned against her. She was respected, even liked among the pack, and she had been told that she was the most beautiful kitsune in it. They never did anything against her, but they insulted Suraiba, and she would not tolerate any insults to her brother.

Suraiba sat and watched carefully. When Sila had asked him why he didn't tell them anything, he shrugged.

"I have nothing to teach but darkness. Those two-" he flicked his tails towards Zuzanzio and Shimo "- will find it by themselves. The rest are far too stupid."

That was the day before he had left, and the first time she had realised what her brother could be like.

He turned and ran, Maza following. But Suri was the fastest of all the foxes, Maza would never catch him. as Sila began running as well, she realised that Suri was the best at everything, fighting, hunting, swimming. He was the strongest out of all of them, and he could twist words and lie very well.

When she finally reached the Cave, she saw him battling a huge eight headed serpent. Orochi. He was losing badly, she could see that. She howled and joined the fight. Each of Orochi's heads snapped off one of her tails, leaving one and eight sorry looking stumps, covered in blood. Her fur became soaked in the crimson liquid, turning it red.

She panted for breath on the edge of the arena, struggling to stand. She growled, shaking blood out of her eyes, and sprang forward, only to feel another pair of teeth in her side. She stared in horror at her brother.

He laughed slowly and released her. They faced each other in fighting stances, but Sila was too shocked to do anything but whimper.

"Why, brother? It's me, Silatenin!" she pleaded, hoping that perhaps he didn't recognise her.

He laughed louder, the sound echoing off the walls of the Cave. All the heads of Orochi were looking at them, obviously waiting for one of the foxes to die so that they could finish off the other. Suri growled and sprang to meet her, razor sharp claws raking across her right eye.

She screamed in pain, but couldn't push him off. Suddenly she felt him move away and opened her good eye to see Maza coming to her rescue. He was covered in blood, probably from fighting Suri or Orochi. The two male kitsunes battled, but Maza was no match for Suri.

He lay at the sliver kitsune's feet, motionless. Suraiba's eyes gleamed, but instead of attacking Sila again he sprang towards Orochi.

Sila howled in horror, thinking that he would be killed in an instant. Instead he vanished, into a sliver portal that opened in front of him.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." A voice growled. Sila turned to Maza, amazed he was still alive. She leaned on his shoulder as they slowly limped put, relieved that Orochi didn't seem to be following them.

She collapsed onto her side outside.

"Are you ok?" Maza asked.

She opened her eye. The other wouldn't open, and it throbbed painfully. "No. He's gone, and it's your fault."

He looked at her sadly. "No, Sila, you're just confused. We'll go back, you can lean on me, and everything will be fine. You'll see."

"No, nothing will ever be fine again. I've lost the only one I ever cared about."

"What about me?!" he protested. Sila briefly wondered if he was joking, then saw the hurt in his eyes.

"It was your fault. I shall never even look at you again." she struggled to her feet slowly.

"He was nothing but trouble anyway" he growled.

That was the final straw. She spun round and raked her claws across his muzzle, causing him to flinch away. He gazed back at her sadly, then leapt away, out of the range of her claws.

"You're not coming back, are you?" he asked sadly.

She shook her head. "I don't care if I never see you again." she spat, and turned her back and began limping slowly across the field.

She looked up at the moon, the same colour as his fur, shining brighter than his eyes ever had. Had her brother really been hiding the darkness all this time? Or had he just been confused before his death? A howl rang out, and she turned to see his shadow, the brown fur black against the moon. The howl was a call, more last chance for her to go back. Maza paused, and she could imagine the hopeful look in his eyes. But she snarled, and saw his ears droop as he turned away. So he had left her too.

She collapsed again, but this time Maza wasn't there to help her. He had gone, left her as she had wished, but now she half hoped that he would come back. She closed her single eye sadly, and that was when she first heard it, in the total darkness of loneliness.

_**Come to me.**_

The voice was inside her head, so she didn't even try to open her eyes.

_**Come to the darkness, and you can see your brother again.**_

_No. _She replied stubbornly. _I shall not join that stupid serpent._

For this was probably Orochi himself, or whoever controlled him, and she didn't want anything to do with that snake.

The voice laughed. _**But you will come. It is only a matter of time...**_

She whimpered slightly, but then the darkness was gone, replaced with a feeling of light. She opened her eye to see a blur of white fur. She looked up slightly, seeing a white tiger.

He was Gekigami, the lightning god. After he had found her in the field, he took her to Sasa , the home of the Taka Fighters, a group of tigers and dogs that helped keep the peace in Eastern Nippon. She had lied, saying that she was chased out by the Ryoshima Coast foxes and that they had given her the wounds. Geki had suggested a revenge attack, but she quickly stopped him, worried that he would find out the truth. She had slowly recovered from her wounds, and began to teach the others to fight. It was almost perfect.

But the voice still spoke to her, giving her nightmares at least once a week. She still refused to give in, but she was becoming weaker, and she knew that one day she would have to give in.

And that came to the present.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I got to my feet slowly, blinking in the light of the sun. I turned around slowly, hoping that it wouldn't be there.

It was.

The ghostly shape of a kitsune, grey with those murky brown eyes. Those eyes that constantly followed me, appearing when I least expected it, burning in anger.

"Maza, leave me alone!" I snarled at my brother's ghost, but it didn't reply, just carried on staring. I shuddered. It had been a whole moon since Maza's death, since I had killed him. And every day this shadow of him followed me, tormenting me. I closed my eyes, but that just made it worse.

I turned away from the ghost. Thank the gods it only followed me, and that I could sort of pretend it wasn't there. I yawned widely. I had barely slept for a moon, tormented by nightmares of Maza and a hundred foxes chasing me, fangs bared for the kill. And the Voice as well, but I could never remember what it said. I shuddered again, wishing it would just end.

Maybe it could.

_Orochi!_ I thought suddenly. He had gave me power, perhaps he could take it away, to end this cursed existence. I growled at the thought of losing the power, but it was better then this torment. I began running towards the Moon Cave.

* * *

"Orochi!"

The eight headed serpent rose from the ground, all eight heads gathering around me, the fire one speaking again.

"Greetings, servant. Enjoying your power?" it hissed.

"No, actually." I growled, feeling rage build inside me. "It made me kill my brother! It was your fault!"

"Our fault?" it laughed. "Hear that, everyone? He thinks it was our fault!" the others joined in the laughter. "No, Zuzanzio. You asked for power. but perhaps it is still not enough? Perhaps you want to be stronger still?"

"Yes..." the word slipped from my mouth without me noticing. "I mean, no, no! I want you to end the curse!"

"The curse?" Orochi hissed quietly. "Oh, your power! We should have explained this before." Every head laughed softly, and the fire one drew closer, hissing in my ear.

"There is no way to end the curse. You must serve us for eight hundred years."

_Eight hundred? Would I even live that long?_ I growled, my spikes sticking up in anger.

"Or there is another way..." the Dark head suggested.

The Fire head narrowed its eyes, then met Dark's gaze and nodded, grinning slightly.

"We shall release you after you have killed eight of your own kind."

_Eight?_ I stepped back, horror struck. It was bad enough having killed one. I had an absurd vision of myself with eight ghostly Maza's running after me, and Orochi laughing. I shook my head.

"No, I cannot do that."

"You may have no choice. Now, scram, we need to prepare for the festival. The 100th year...perhaps this shall be when Amaterasu challenges me with that foolish warrior. Seems like I shall have a side dish with my sacrifice!"Orochi laughed, some of the heads licking their lips.

"Wait, he said he wanted more power. We should give it to him." the Dark head laughed, eyes gleaming with cunning.

I tried to resist, to shake my head, but it was already to late. I cursed my stupid tongue.

"Um, hang on boss, we haven't actually got the power..." one of the other heads said.

"Shut up Thunder!" Fire cried. "We are Orochi. We have the power to do anything. Fox, prepare for power!" it roared, sending waves of dark energy around the Cave.

As each wave hit me, I felt myself change. But it wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting to become stronger, more powerful. But instead I felt myself become smaller and weaker. There seemed to be a cloud of toxic gas around me. I looked up, and saw that everything looked so much bigger.

The fire head's huge red eye moved down to my height, and it's laugh seemed to shake the ground.

"You said you wanted the darkness."

Then suddenly another voice entered both our heads, stopping it in it's tracks.

_**Foolish serpent. **_

It was the voice that had been calling me before, but now it was speaking to Orochi, not me. And I was glad, for now it sounded angry.

"M-Master?" the Thunder head called, then hid behind the bell.

_**Orochi, you have displeased me. **_

This time, the Fire head answered, but it still sounded slightly scared.

"Master, this fox entered our lair, and asked for power, so we gave it to him!"

_**Hm. He doesn't look more powerful to me.**_

"Well, er, maybe it didn't work as well as it could have?" Fire laughed weakly.

_**Whatever. Zuzanzio, travel to the city, and I shall restore you to your former shape.**_

The voice faded, and Orochi looked back at me.

"You never told us you were in the service of the Emperor of Eternal Darkness." Poison said accusingly.

"It doesn't matter." Fire hissed. "You heard the boss, fox! Get to the city, pronto!"

I snarled, and tried to run, but it took me much longer than usual. That foul serpent must have shrunk me to a fraction of my former size. When I finally got back out to Shinshu Field, I found a puddle, which looked more like a lake. I looked over the edge cautiously, careful not to overbalance and fall in.

I was even smaller than I thought, and my form had changed dramatically. I was a tiny black dragon, surrounded by a cloud of greenish black gas. I hissed quietly, surprised at the sound. I spread my wings, and looked at my long spiked tail curiously. My red eyes still gleamed hungrily, and my rosary circled my neck.

Well, this is pathetic. I thought. Then my heart leapt with hope. Perhaps...i looked at the reflection again, and groaned in dismay. Maza's ghost still stood behind me, thankfully my size. If It had stayed the same size...i shuddered slightly.

I hissed again, and took off, a little unsteadily. I hoped that the ghost would not follow me, but it floated behind me, a silent companion.

* * *

The sunset flooded into the sliver sea.

I blinked, suddenly wondering why I thought it was beautiful. Since the ink had returned a moon before, I had been concentrating on power and practicing the brush techniques. Out of sight of Geki, of course.

I sighed irritably, looking over at him. he was still obsessed with finding Zuzanzio and punishing him. I had suggested returning to the Taka Fighters, but he said that finding Zuzi was more important.

I'll be more powerful than both of them one day, I vowed silently.

Looking back out to sea, I saw a dark smudge on the horizon that hadn't been there before.

"What's that?" I asked Geki curiously.

He answered me with a growl, never switching his gaze from the darkening sky.

"Oni Island, a place to cross between the Celestial Plains and Nippon. It moves with each sunset, so that the forces of darkness cannot find it."

"You don't think that Zuzi could be there, do you?" I suggested.

This time he whipped round, eyes flashing in anger. "No. It is a fortress of the gods. No demon could ever invade it!"

I backed away slightly, fur rising defensively. "Ok, keep your fur on."

He grunted. "Sorry. But the emotions of the gods are linked, and at the moment great mother Amaterasu is in great pain and suffering."

_And you're just a grumpy old git. _I thought angrily. "So why don't you go and help her?"

He was about to answer, but suddenly growled in pain, closing his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked, wondering if this was his idea of a joke.

"Something has happened....terrible pain. No, it can't be!" he growled in horror, turning around and looking up at the skies over Shinshu Field.

At that moment a terrible roar rang out, a black cloud of darkness floating northwards from the Moon Cave. It was followed by a howl of mourning.

"No...." Geki whispered in horror.

"What happened?" I asked in confusion.

"The sun has set, and the hearts of all the gods with it." He turned to face me, horror, regret and anger fighting in his eyes. "I must return to them now, for they need me. We must punish the ones responsible for Amaterasu's death."

"You can't just leave me!" I snarled, as he teleported, disappearing in a flash of lightning.

I howled in anger at the sky. How dare he leave me!

I heard a twig snap from behind me, and whipped round, catching the scent of my kind on the breeze. The whole pack must have stood there, fangs gleaming and fur raised. Kao stood at the front, his eyes flashing angrily.

I froze, looking into the faces of the pack I had known since I was a cub. There were many new foxes, cubs born after I left. Some had left too, my own parents were nowhere to be seen, and Zuzi's father looked so much older. His brothers and sisters were there, almost identical to Maza.

Kao stepped forwards slightly, sniffing me slowly. Then he growled, and stepped back.

"Silatenin. So you return. Have you come with the disgraced Zuzanzio, spreading evil through the pack?"

"Kao... brother." I attempted to greet him friendlily.

He seemed to struggle for a minute, then growled and lowered his gaze. "You are no sister of mine. You with your strange ink powers. No one can trust you. Suraiba found that out. So did Maza."

I winced as he spoke the name of the fox that had once loved me, and at the memory of my rejection of him. "What did Zuzi do to him?" I asked, not knowing if I wanted to know.

Kao snarled, fur bristling. "He killed him! A fight to the death! And you know why he said he did it? Because of you."

I backed away, eyes wide with shock.

"He said he did it to avenge you, that Maza killed Suraiba and drove you out. I don't know the full story of what happened at the Moon Cave, but Maza would never do that."

Guilt and shock flooded my belly. My lying had cost Maza his life. And how must Zuzi feel, having killed one of his own kind?

"And so now we shall take your life. As revenge." Kao finished.

I growled, then tried to turn back, but saw that I had been surrounded whilst Kao was talking. The foxes howled as one, and sprung at me.

I snarled and fought back, biting and scratching as best as I could. But with one eye I couldn't see very well, and one tail was next to useless. I felt blood seeping into my eye, blinding me, and gave up.

"Wait." Kao commanded, and the felt the foxes release me. "We shall wait until Zuzanzio returns."

_Returns?_ I had thought that he was here, leading them. But perhaps it was better this way, that he hadn't betrayed me.

"Then we shall kill them both." I felt dread fill my heart.

I was forced roughly to my feet and back to the cave, my eye still refusing to open. I hoped that it was just sticky with blood, and that I would be able to see again in the morning. It was bad enough only having one eye, I couldn't lose the other one too.

As I lay in the darkness I came up with 100 plans to escape, mostly involving killing Kao. But without sight I could do nothing.

I will escape, I vowed.

But another part of my mind was bleak with despair, and called out.

_Zuzi, Geki, save me..._


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_Urgh. This is disgusting._ I thought, narrowly avoiding the mountain of horse dung in the middle of the drain pipe.

_How can anyone live, being this small? _I thought angrily. I looked back, hoping that Maza's ghost had got stuck in a puddle and drowned. But it was still there, just as creepy as ever.

I shuddered, then dived out of the way as a foot came down where I had been standing. That was the worst part, that humans, who would normally run at the sight of me, were now fatal dangers.

I took shelter in a clump of grass, taller than my head, as raindrops larger than me began to rain down. Maza's ghost lay down beside me, eyes fixed forward. I tried to shuffle away, but it just floated closer again. eventually I gave up and stared upwards at a man across the street. He seemed to be having some kind of coughing fit, throwing green gas into the air. The humans were all avoiding him, backing away hurriedly as he staggered around, holding his throat. He gave a mighty cough, throwing something out. It landed near me. I ignored it at first, continuing to watch the man, who had recovered, and seemed fine. But then I heard a sword being drawn, and turned my head.

It was a creature, if you could call it that. But it looked more like a hollow suit of armour, complete with a mask for a face, with hundreds of tiny swords sticking out from it's back and sides. It was floating slightly above the ground, surrounded by a cloud of green gas. The sword it held in it's 'hand' was longer than the others, but still no bigger than a needle, and glowed blue faintly.

It spoke, though it didn't seem to have a face or mouth.

"So, you that dragon-that's-actually-a-fox that I've been told to look for?"

"Um...yeah. I think." I replied, slightly freaked out by this...thing that could speak without a face and came flying out of people's stomachs.

"This thing with you?" he- I think it's a he- asked, pointing towards the ghost.

"No, that's the ghost of my brother that I killed."

He nodded, then jabbed my shoulder with the sword.

"Ow! What was that for?" I growled.

He shrugged. "No reason. What's yer name, anyway?"

"Zuzanzio." I answered, gritting my teeth from pain.

"I'm Blight, a sickness causing demon. And I've been ordered to take you to Yami, so let's get going! He doesn't like to be keep waiting!"

Blight began floating higher, over the river to the Aristocratic Quarter. I flapped my wings furiously to keep up with him, barely making it across without falling into the water. Once we were across the bridge he led me to a swirl of darkness floating above the river.

"This takes us straight to the Ark of Yamoto, where Yami is imprisoned. " Blight announced, and pushed me in.

I landed on a cold ice like surface, wincing as I got to my feet. Blight landed behind me, and told me to look up.

We were in some sort of arena, blue lines flashing along the floor and pillars around the sides. A red sphere was in the centre, the lines flashing in unison with those on the floor. It revolved quickly, spinning into the air and landing again. something rose from the top and rolled out to face us, towering above my head.

I couldn't not laugh. It was a fish. A koi in a fishbowl, strangely twisted and mis formed. I bit my lip, then let out a great snort, finally breaking into cackles of laughter.

"It's a fish!" I laughed. Blight's look of horror just made me laugh harder.

A shadow fell over me, and I looked up to see a giant paw hovering above me. I stopped laughing immediately. The paw slammed back on the ground beside me. Now the fish had turned into a huge wolf, black with the red lines flashing along it's sides, forming a 'Y' between the eyes, which were pure black, not a glimmer of emotion in them, not even anger, which somehow made them even more terrifying. The black mirror floating above the wolf was surrounded by brilliant blood red flames.

"Zuzanzio." The wolf spoke, in an ice cold emotionless voice. "I am Yami, the Emperor of Eternal Darkness."

"Oh." I whispered, cursing myself for laughing.

Yami laughed coldly, still without emotion. "Before I grant you power again, understand this: You are nothing to me. Do one thing wrong, and I shall end your existence."

I nodded slowly, hoping that 'things I wasn't allowed to do' didn't include laughing at Yami.

"You must obey the demon law, always. Blight shall explain once you are away from here." Yami flicked his tail lazily, and I felt a rush of energy as I returned to full size and shape.

"You shall now command the power to switch to this small form and back again, If the need arises. Now, leave my presence."

The portal opened up again, pulling me and Blight back through. This time we landed in North Ryoshima Coast.

"For a minute then I thought he was gonna kill yer!" Blight said.

"Me too." I admitted. Blight looked so much smaller now, bouncing on my snout like a Poncle.

"Don't worry about laughing at him, or following the law too much. I ignore him all the time."

"What is the law exactly?" I asked.

"The demon law. There's lots of them, but the main ones are" he thought for a moment, then continued. "Kill whenever you can, show no mercy, don't make friends with the gods, always bring Orochi's meal on time, if you're one of his imps, but that don't matter cause he's dead."

"Dead?" I asked in shock.

"Yeah, two nights ago. Amaterasu killed him, with that warrior Nagi. Didn't you hear that roar? Amaterasu fell fighting him though, so that's good. Serpent breath was always a bit useless anyway. So now Yami's looking for a new demon lord. Maybe you should apply."

I grunted. Perhaps it would be good. But who was I meant to serve now Orochi was dead? Yami?

"Anyway, back to the rules. I think I've said all of the important ones..." Blight said, then remembered something.

"Oh yeah. You must not love. That is the greatest law."

I grunted again. _No need to worry about breaking that one,_ I thought.

"So what have we got to do now?" I asked.

"Whatever we want, really. As long as it involves death and destruction. How about we go back to those kitsunes you're leader of?"

I couldn't see how that involved death or destruction, but I nodded anyway, beginning to run.

I reached the entrance to the cave and sniffed deeply, smelling the kitsunes, all inside the cave.

Sila's scent was there as well, and a trace of Geki. I frowned and entered the cave, Blight following warily. The pack were huddled together in one corner. Kao turned and faced me, with a snarl.

"Zuzanzio. So you have returned."

I growled back softly. "Who put you in charge?"

Kao grinned triumphantly. "The rest of the kitsunes. Did you really think that we would follow you after you killed Maza, or that the fool Yaki could lead us? " his growl turned more serious, his grin vanishing. "Now it is time for us to do what we should have done many years ago. Kill you, and your foolish friend Silatenin."

Sila? I watched in shock as she was pushed forward, covered in more gashes and bruises. She hissed and spat as she was forced to stand beside me, her single eye gleaming as red as mine. I didn't know what to think about her appearance. Happiness at seeing her, fear that she was trapped like me, annoyance? Anger at her lies that had made me kill Maza, or...something else. I shook my head to clear it, dropping into a fighting crouch and preparing to spring.

Blight drew his sword, though I thought he couldn't do anything to help.

"I am your leader! All should obey me!" I howled, trying to sound confident. Kao merely laughed, looking back at me in scorn.

"Use your powers." Blight hissed in my ear. My eyes widened.

"I don't know how." I muttered back.

Blight rolled his eyes. I tried to bring forth the power, closing my eyes. To my surprise I felt a warm feeling in my stomach , like fire. I opened my eyes and my mouth, sending sparks flying out, that erupted into orange tongues of flame.

The foxes drew back in fear, eyes wide. I laughed and summoned the fire again, as Sila waved her tail to deliver great blows, like slashes.

" No! Just fight them!" Kao cried, but they were too scared.

"Demon!" Came a great thundering roar from outside the cave. Gekigami stood framed in the cave mouth, his massive shoulder blades blocking out the sunlight.

"Come and fight me, mangy fox!"

I stiffened slightly in fear. Blight jabbed my ear, and pointed to another black portal that he had summoned. I took one last glance at Geki, the cowering foxes, and then a lingering gaze at Sila, then I leapt through.

* * *

Review please, even if it's saying how bad it is. :)


	8. Chapter 8

Hi, sorry i haven't updated for a while. This chapter's too short really, and all from Sila's POV. Ya, and if anyone likes this story, i would really appreciate it if you reviewed, cause no one has for a while... even if you don't like it, please tell me why!

Anyway, that over, on with the story!

* * *

Chapter 8

"Mangy fox!"

I rolled my eyes, listening to Geki curse. He had arrived too late to rescue me, it was Zuzi who had done that. And I was still angry about him leaving me. At the same time I was glad to see him again, and relieved that he hadn't noticed me inside the cave .The foxes had left me alone after Zuzi had disappeared, and I had been able to sneak out.

He stopped pacing, and turned to face me. "But those demons will have to wait. There is more important things to do now."

"What, helping the gods? Then you better get back." I said bitterly.

"No." I looked back up to see him looking at me intently. "It is true that I must soon return to the Celestial Plains. But I have come to ask you to come with me." Seeing my shocked expression, he hastily added. "It's safer than Nippon at the moment. And the other gods won't mind, they're always saying how empty it is without the Celestials."

I didin't reply. The Celestial Plains? Of course it would be safer. But I was torn between going with him, and staying in Nippon, to find power in the darkness.

_Torn between him and Zuzi._

I pushed the thought out of my mind as he spoke again.

"You don't have to decide now, of course. I know it must be hard to make a decision."

I nodded. "I'll think about it. So where do you think the demons have gone?" it seemed strange to be calling Zuzanzio a demon, I had already came to think of him as Zuzi, as a...friend.

Geki smiled, obviously relieved I hadn't said a complete no, and turned back to face the sea. "I don't know. Oni Island perhaps?"

"I thought you said that no demons cold get in there?" I asked.

He grinned sheepishly. "Well, we've dropped the security around there at the moment. Some of the gods are simply grieving and doing little else. Have you noticed how dim the moon has been? That's because of how upset Yumigami is. But some of us are trying to find the ones responsible for amaterasu's death. "

"And which one are you?" I asked, guessing that he would be trying to avenge her.

"The revenge side, of course. But we nearly caused an argument over who is to blame. " he snorted. "The old gods, Yomigami and Itegami, think that Orochi's death is punishment enough for the demons." He growled, fur rising angrily. "But it will never be enough. We must make every demon pay."

I shuddered slightly. That must be the reason he was so intent on hunting down Zuzi, even though he had no part in Amaterasu's death.

"And of course, there is one other to blame...but enough about that now. I have to go to Oni Island anyway, to return to the Celestial Plains."

"I thought you could just teleport there?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, but if you decide to come with me, you'll have to use the teleport on Oni Island. So, shall we go?"

I nodded wordlessly, a sinking feeling in my stomach.

_I really hope that Zuzi isn't there, for his sake._

I paused, looking at the maze of passages in front of us.

Geki had been able to tell where the island was, near Watchers Cape. A path of rocks led out to it, which we had jumped across easily. I had cheated slightly, using a gust of wind to blow myself across the last one. Geki didn't seem to notice, dismissing it as a natural breeze.

The moment I stepped onto this place, I felt my fur prickling on the back of my neck, beads of hot sweat running down my muzzle, a raging headache pounding through my head.

**_Darkness....you have come at last....come to the dark, the evil....take your rightful place as the greatest demon lord..._**

The call was almost non stop, running through my head like the waters of a river. This was the place I was destined to reach, where I would either give in to the darkness or fight it off forever.

I had led the way, padding quickly along the passageways and through the huge rooms like I had known the castle all my life. Geki had followed without a comment.

Now there was two paths leading off. "What way should we go?" Geki asked.

"I dunno, its your island." I growled back. I wished I could get away from him, to seek this darkness, and hopefully rid it from my mind forever. I also wanted to find Zuzi before he did, and warn him. "Maybe we should split up?" I suggested.

"No way. I'm staying with you." he growled, eyes glinting angrily. Or at least I thought he was angry. The eyes of the kitsunes had always been easy to read, amber normally, blue for sadness, green for fear and red for anger. But those of tigers were so different. Tigers were so different, full stop.

In a flash, I knew I could never go with Geki. I was a kitsune, a wounded one at that. I could never live among gods, far from my own kind. I had lived apart for too long, forgetting what it meant to be a fox. Zuzi had reminded me of that.

I closed my single eye. It was green. But that didn't mean I was scared, no way. As for Zuzi's red eyes...was he angry all the time then? I shook my head, trying to clear it, then opened my eye. Geki was staring at me.

"What?"

He sighed impatiently. "I said, which way do you want to go?"

"Left. We'll go left." I decided. It was the foggier path, and if the path split again I could get away from Geki. I stepped back to let him lead, then followed slowly. I knew at once that I had made the right choice, for the headache intensified. I was getting closer.

I followed Geki for a few more paces, then spotted a gap in the wall and jumped through.

The room on the other side was even foggier. Lightning flickered around the ceiling. I looked up at it as I walked forwards, the headache growing worse with every step.

And so I didn't see the chasm when I fell down it, falling deep into the foggy depths.

Review!


	9. Author's Note

Hey guys, not a new chapter(yet), sorry

Erm excuses for not updating...pretty sure you don't really wanna read me waffling on about that for ages. Anyways, I'm going through this story from the beginning and rewriting, don't worry those of you who liked it, I won't change too much just improve it and check it etc, and the next new chapter should be up pretty soon after that.

Big thanks to everyone who reviewed, Twilight Okami,Gold Testament, rexy-plexy95 and Okami Lover, whoever you are xD,soz for not thanking you before (in case anyone wondered the review marked as me was my little bro when i was still logged in)

Sooo...yeah, this will be updated ASAP, hopefully soon! XD


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